The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-09-03
INSECT MECHANICS
Wisdom That Prompts the Hornet to Pen
form Peculiar Duties.

/ hCl btilNihS3 ~ ltSG AAN"l my h1lShSA
door for several days" observed gen-
tleman- to another, "and the longer
watch it the more puzzled am to know
whether it is guided in its work by
knowledge and reason or by instinct.
It does not work like a machine, but
with all the sagacity of reasoning be.
ing"
II have watched them, too" replied
the other; "but l could never see any
signs of reasoning powers. They
seemed to be doing something that they
couldn't help"
This is not the case with this hor-
net" observed the first gentleman. ut
came one day when was sitting in the
door and made careful survey Of the
surroundings, and seemed to be partic-
ular about getting in a place where it
would be well protected from wind and
rain. 1t finally selected u place under
the string rail to which the fence boards
are nailed. After making up its mind
it cleaned off a spot about as big as an
apple seed. Then it flew away. but it
was not long until it returned with a
lump of black-looking stuff about the
size of large bird-shot in its arms. 1t
then began spreading this over the bare
spot on the rail with its bill. The
work was done as carefully as plas
terer would have done it."
"May be it had y trowel and facing
board concealed about its person. OBJ.
served the other, iestlngly.
IF it had l didn't see EN-" replied
the other, "but l watched it when it
returned with another load of papier-
mache. 1t pinched small bits off the
little ball held in its arms and seemed
to chew it before sticking it on to the
other. While it was gone for another
load I examined the work and found
that it constructed small stem. not
much thicker than coarse sewing
thread, which was attached to the
foundation by broad, tlaring base.
The next road was built onto the stem,
and farcd out even more than the base.
In this it bored four little holes, such
as would be made by the point Of a
lead pencil in a soft piece of putty 1t
then went to work and polished up the
stem, which is about quarter OF an
inch long. until it looked as if it had
been waXed.
"How long did it take this mechan-
ical hornet to do this?' interrupted the
listener.
"Lcss than an hour replied the
other. Il had not finished my after
supper toddy when it knocked off for
the night. 1t must have got to work
early the next morning, for when l
went out after breakfast l found that
those four little indcntures in the bulb
on the end of that stem had grown into
cells a quarter Of an inch deep, and
that cup-shaped enclosure had been
commenced at the point where the
stem was attached to the foundation.
The cells and the enclosure grew with
about equal rapidity, and were as per-
feet pieces of art work as you could
wish to see. :"
mot more perfect than the crystals
we find in quartz rock. or thousand
and one other Places suggested the
listener.
mo, not more perfect argued the
other, "but here was the mechanic at
his work. He was collecting the mas
terial and preparing it as intelligently
as stucco worker would gather and
prepare his. In order to test the
equanimity of the fr,ssy little artisan !
stuck straw into one Of the enclosures.
Immediately on its return it flew into a
passion. buzzed around a few seconds,
as if looking for the fellow who had
the hardihood and ill.manncrs to in
trudc upon its premises, and then went
to work and cut the straw into little
bits and carried them away. 1t then
repaired the damage and went on with
the work.
Il have seen almost the same thing
going on when preparing crystals OF
the salts of copper and Lead re-
marked the other. with the aid of a
battery Of moderate strength the pro-
cess of crystallization can be seen dis
tinctly. Several times l have inter-
posed foreign matter between the par
ticles Of metal and the parts to which
they were tending, when some unseen
force would drive them away in order
to allow the proper particles to take
their respective places. II the foreign
matter. such as straw or piece Of
thread, persisted in remaining, the
atoms of metal would form around it
and go ON until the figure was COM
plctcd."
"Well, my little artisan next began
second or outer covering for his nest"
said the other, land it is as perfect
sphere rs If it had been modelled in
lathe. 1t is made Of q coarser and
heavier material than the cells and the
inner covering. 1t gets the material
from the boards on the fence. but that
for the inside works it gets from dis
lance, and it requires considerable time
for IL IN mako tho rn,,nd trim - Pitts,